Leonard Peltier-why not free?

On twitter I am in contact with Buffalo Post and other Native American sources. I suppose anyone can just google "Leonard Peltier" for a variety of sources. Writing from South Africa, I know that Desmond Tutu and others have spoken out for Leonard Peltier to go free. Can anybody update me? Why is this suffering old man still not free?

reply to post by halfoldman

---

I've read that he could have gone free in the Clinton years, but the FBI actually protested against this. They will never admit their cover-up and scapegoating of this man, despite discredited leaders involved under the Nixon administration. My heart aches so badly to hear of an inoocent man abused in a US prison. Why don't US people care? Don't you realize, any of you could end up there innocently? Is that the collateral damage for your justice? God help you.

Wow. Thanks for bringing this up. Sounds like the guy got an extremely unfair trial from the Wikipedia article.

reply to post by honkusbobo

---

Yes, and he's just the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks for the flags peope, but please also comment!
The sheer spite of people who chose to conspire so many years ago. Many have died since then. But the others? How can they sleep?

Hi All,

Honestly I think the only reason he is still locked up is because he either made a very powerful person angry, or there are some who fear him. It really is sad that he is still locked up.

reply to post by sylvrshadow

---

I suppose he did make people angry. In certain parts of the US, the message must still be sent that minorities must obey dominant culture. They were Indians standing up to power. The chances were not good, but many would perhaps say that they made a difference.

when your on the rez and you mention AIM it becomes real quiet and everyone looks away from the white man talking.

reply to post by out west

---

That could be understood in a number of ways. Do you mean AIM is the rhetoric of white liberals without any real support, or do you mean people are still frightened when white agents interogate people?

AIM was the American Indian Movement. Maybe still is. The members from Leonard's hood I think killed an FBI agent. They wanted to forcefully take back their land. So all I'm sayin is if yur just a poor white man walking and you want to start talking about the AIM, the boys from the rez dont see any good that will come out of talking about it. Your now on Indian Time.
(BTW- whats a white liberal without any real support? Thats funny!)

reply to post by out west

---

Here in South Africa there's a lot of white academics and (lucky) whites with jobs. They talk about apartheid before 1994 and black suffering, and they always choose a politically correct, defunct position. They have neither the wider support of the white minority, nor will it benefit them when the crunch comes. To spew political rhetoric has become a job, but the black majority regards them as devious and more racist than more crude and honest whites.

reply to post by out west

---

They were not forcefully trying to take back their land as such. They were trying to stop FBI backed goons beating and intimitating people into submission. Over 1000 bullets were fired by the FBI and their goons at women and children. What they were doing was self-defense.

Yes these people are lucky to have a job.
Any yes there was self defense. But the FBI goons just dont walk right in and fire off 1000 rounds without being some what provoked. You know like Waco. They made a stand. and now its over. Goodnite.

reply to post by out west

---

Maybe Waco is over, but the questions it raised will linger. As far as I know Pine Ridge and other Native communities are still there, so maybe that specific conflict is over, but Indian country is far from over.

reply to post by out west

---

"Provoke" is a relative term. I think it is very contextualized to a certain , historic setting. Nobody is sure what exactly provoked the massacre at Wounded Knee, for example. But the fact that the cavelry brought gattling guns demonstrates the atmosphere.

reply to post by halfoldman

---

The answer is simple...
AIM may be dead but Leonard Peltier is one of the few Natives who can polarize the tribes enough to set aside our differences and unify us into a real political force... naturally that scares not just washington but many comfortable fat cat tribal leaders...

Oh yes we too have our own, complacent, grown rich off cassino's and government subsides money leaders... they wouldn't like to see Leonard Peltier walk in and upset the apple cart.

When we older folks talk about Leonard Peltier we do so with reverence, respect but we also talk about him in past tense. without his own peoples backing he's there for good...

reply to post by DaddyBare

---

Who are "his people"? Lakota, American Indians, the USA, international believers in justice and human rights? I think he has had lasting support from various quarters. The problem with support for global political prisoners is that the victimizers are even more likely to dig in their heels and become intransigent. It's, as you intimate, the idea, rather than the individual they fear.

Clinton did not free him because he is protected by the FBI for life.

reply to post by wolfe

---

Isn't it wierd, the so-called FBI taking openly to the streets to protest tha release of one Native American, when many others from those culture clashes in the 1970s are walking free?